Irkutsk governor proposes sites for industrial mining

The Governor of Irkutsk Oblast, Igor Kobzev, has signalled willingness to provide sites for industrial mining. This was reported by «Интерфакс».

He said that miners are placing additional load on the electricity networks, causing power outages in the suburbs where mining farms are concentrated.

In response, he proposed to classify mining as an entrepreneurial activity and to set higher electricity tariffs.

Kobzev clarified that miners will need to negotiate with the grid operator to connect farms via a dedicated line. The governor is ready to provide separate sites for such activity:

«For example, in Ust-Ilimsk. But this must be done in a civilized way, so that there are dedicated lines, not counting the networks of populated areas».

In October, Kobzev appealed to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak with the proposal to legally enshrine mining as a form of entrepreneurial activity.

He said that because of ‘underground’ miners, who consume electricity at residential tariffs, Irkutsk Oblast could face electricity shortages. According to Kobzev, many miners relocated to the region following a wave of Chinese prohibitions.

According to the Financial Times, Russia received applications to deploy more than 1.8 million devices after the ban on bitcoin mining in China.

Media reports suggested that several ministries supported the initiative to regulate mining as a form of entrepreneurial activity.

In the State Duma, officials announced the preparation of a bill to regulate cryptocurrency mining and the creation of a corresponding working group. It is due to begin work in the near future.

Deputy Anton Gorelkin proposed to make the Irkutsk region a pilot for moving miners out of the ‘grey zone’.

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